An ecological turnaround can be achieved

The day dates to 22 May 1992, when countries around the world together drew up the Convention on Biological Diversity², setting out commitments for saving the ecological underpinnings of life. Yet today, exactly 30 years later, we¡¯ve little reason to celebrate.

Ecological degradation poses a systemic risk

Worldwide, population sizes of vertebrates such as mammals, birds and fish have seen an alarming average drop of 68 percent since 1970³. And the situation is just as drastic for other species groups such as insects⁴ and plants⁵. The rate of extinction is accelerating⁶, jeopardising the very foundation of our existence.

Politicians and business leaders around the world have now taken this on board. The UK economic and finance ministry speaks of nature as ¡°our most precious asset¡±, and of a collective failure to engage sustainably with nature⁷. The WEF lists biodiversity loss as a top global risk⁸, while Swiss Re finds a fifth of countries worldwide are threatened by ecosystem collapse⁹.

An ecological turnaround is possible

It¡¯s widely agreed that any further depletion of nature will lead to collapse. We¡¯re already seeing a profusion of conflicts between expanding land use and last ecological refugia: intensive or organic agriculture? Dense or green cities? Renewable energy in nature reserves?

As an ecologist, I seek to show that ecological alternatives and win-win situations are possible. Restoring damaged ecosystems¹⁰ enhances synergies:

• Humans need nature: instead of separating our lives from nature, we should engage in rich relationships with other living beings and our ecological lifeworld. Being close to nature improves our quality of life and promotes health¹¹.
• All landscape is nature: instead of protecting isolated pockets, we should regenerate all the exploited landscape. Restored landscapes buffer climate extremes, improve the landscape beauty and safeguard the services we receive from nature, such as pollination.
• The economy needs nature: an ecological economy builds natural capital instead of destroying it. As many of our activities as possible should protect, restore or sustainably use the landscape.

Working with rather than against nature

Such ¡°nature-based¡± solutions¹² work in tandem with nature, generate income and ¨C if well thought out ¨C benefit biodiversity. For instance, agroecology can yield more robust crops and healthy soils, forests and peatlands mitigate climate change, and mangroves protect coastal areas.

This year, the International Day for Biological Diversity challenges us to ¡°build a shared future for all life¡±. We can do this by fostering rich relationships with nature in our daily lives, promoting education and research on ecology and nature-based solutions, and investing in a nature-based economy.